Tributes have been pouring in this week from across the rugby world to a Stirling County legend who passed away last week.
Stewart Hamilton, who captained the Bridgehaugh side to their championship winning season back in 1995, died on Thursday at the age of 67 - with the news being greeted with shock from friends and former teammates.
Former second-row ‘Hammy’ was an icon for the Stirling club and is widely recognised by several stellar names in Scottish rugby as the best player never to have represented his country, having only made Scotland B appearances during his career.
County issued a brief tribute on their social media pages following the news of Stewart’s passing, writing: “It is with great sadness we have to report the sudden passing of Stewart Hamilton (Hammy) on Thursday, March 30 2023.
“A former captain of Stirling County RFC, he was a well-recognised face and a legendary figure within Scottish Rugby, who made a considerable impression on those he played with and against, both on and off the field.
“Our condolences go out to his family on this sad occasion.”
A fuller tribute is set to be made by the club following the confirmation of funeral arrangements.
Club president John Gibson, a former teammate of Stewart in their playing days, told the Observer: “He was my captain when we won the championship back in 94/95 and he grew into being inspirational as a character.
“He should have been capped but he never was and not only was he a good rugby player, he was a really good guy on top of that.
“I’ve been reading so much that he is a legend and that is not a word that I use very easily but when you talk about Hammy, he is a County legend and both on and off the park, I can’t speak highly enough of him.
“He was a good communicator and pulled people together across the team by leading by example and he got us together to win that championship.
“Hammy was a great guy to have a pint with and was a complete gentleman, very polite; he was always talking to people and his funeral will be massive because of the number of people he has come across in his life, he’s just that sort of guy.
“I remember after the news my phone went red hot with calls and WhatsApps, not just from County members but from all over Scottish rugby.
“We did a minute’s silence before our game at the weekend and it was a real high mark of respect for who Hammy was, we’ve had people from New Zealand, the US and all over getting in touch with us to say sorry to hear about Hammy.
“I’ve known him since I was 18 and now I’m 64 and he was so well known and respected - he will be missed.”
